Pickup Review: 2013 Ram 1500 4×4 Quad Cab Outdoorsman

The 2013 Ram 1500 4x4 Quad Cab Outdoorsman is the perfect truck for those looking to transition from regular cars to full-size pickups.

PHOTO: John LeBlanc for National Post

The interior of the 2013 Ram 1500 features many car-like creature comforts.

PHOTO: John LeBlanc for National Post

When the back seats are folded up, the Ram 1500 offers plenty of in-vehicle cargo space.

PHOTO: John LeBlanc for National Post

The RamBox provides extra storage space when needed and acts a great cooler for family BBQs.

PHOTO: John LeBlanc for National Post

2013 Ram 1500 4x4 Quad Cab Outdoorsman

PHOTO: John LeBlanc for National Post

2013 Ram 1500 4x4 Quad Cab Outdoorsman

PHOTO: John LeBlanc for National Post

2013 Ram 1500 4x4 Quad Cab Outdoorsman

PHOTO: John LeBlanc for National Post

Pickup mixes creature comforts of a car with the utility and power of a truck

By John LeBlanc

Originally published: October 28, 2013

SMALL

MEDIUM

LARGE

Don’t believe the television commercials. Not all pickup truck buyers are electrical contractors, cattle ranchers or oil field workers. For the rest of us — those who may need the room and utility of a full-sized pickup, but want the comfortable ride and creature comforts of a car — there’s the updated 2013 Ram 1500.

Fiat-Chrysler’s Ram (previously Dodge) truck was already a sales success for the Italian-American automaker, but with all-new 2014 versions of the Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra twins being introduced this year, and with Ford seemingly in non-stop development of its perennially best-selling F-150, Chrysler has upgraded the 1500 for 2013. Many of the truck’s new features are targeted at the non-truck buyer, including a new six-cylinder engine, a class-first eight-speed automatic transmission, optional air suspension and the so-called RamBox rear bedside trunks.

My 2013 Ram 1500 4×4 Quad Cab Outdoorsman seemed like it was outfitted to showcase all of the above. Starting at $42,990 (including a $1,695 freight and pre-delivery inspection fee), my “truck” also came with a host of luxury car goodies (air suspension, heated seats, full-on infotainment system with navigation, etc.) bringing its total to a luxury car-like $52,670.

While base 2013 Ram Quad Cabs come as six-seaters with a three-across front bench, my Outdoorsman sported a massive centre storage bin where the middle front seat would normally go. The two-level storage unit is great for pack rats and handheld device fetishists (an SD card, USB and auxiliary ports and a 12-volt power source are found inside). More storage can be found in the back seat, where the rear squabs fold up to reveal bins, as well as a pair of in-floor storage cubbies.

If you can’t find enough room in the Ram’s cabin for your flotsam and jetsam, well, there’s always the rear cargo bed, right?

For some reason, however, my tester came without a rear bed cover, which meant finding some place to put valuables that I wasn’t ready to expose to the elements or petty thieves when it came time to pack up for a weekend at the family cottage. But the problem was solved thanks to the truck’s new RamBox.

Essentially a pair of coffin-like storage trunks tucked inside the bed rails on each side of the tuck’s rear wheels, the RamBoxes lock and unlock with the truck’s doors and tailgate. And while they seem designed as a place to throw in a bag of ice and cans of your favourite beverage, they’re also perfect for a set of golf clubs or camping gear. The only down side to this new feature is the relatively high lift-over height.

The other area the Ram excels at being more “car-like” than its rivals is in the ride and handling department. When the current, fourth-generation Ram was redesigned for 2010, one of its biggest innovations was a class-exclusive, coil spring and five-link rear suspension, a departure from the traditional leaf-spring setup found in Ford and General Motors trucks.

Three model years later, the Ram remains the only full-sized pickup with a live axle located by five links. Not only does the setup deal with poor road surfaces well, it also makes the Ram a quiet vehicle at speed — quieter than some so-called luxury cars I have recently driven. And now, with the new air springs (which replace the coil springs) there’s an even higher level of ride sophistication.

The Ram’s driver-selectable air suspension offers five ride levels: Normal, Aero, Off-road 1 and 2, and Park. While Off-road 2 can jack the truck 104 millimetres higher than the regular suspension height, I never ventured off-pavement, nor experienced any winter driving conditions during my week in the Ram. Instead, I simply left the system in normal during the majority of my time, which automatically drops the vehicle’s height at highway speeds for better aerodynamics and fuel economy.

Ah, yes, fuel economy. It’s one of the big bugaboos for potential big truck buyers, but to ease the pain, the Ram’s new six-cylinder gas engine and eight-speed autobox conspire to lessen your fuel bill.

Making 305 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque, the Ram’s new 3.6-litre V6 is mated to a new eight-speed automatic. In truth, the extra gears help keep the rev-happy six in the right gear at the right time. While the soon-to-arrive 2014 Ram diesel will surely sip a little less fuel, the end result gives the Ram a significant advantage over its gas-engine GM and Ford counterparts in estimated fuelled economy ratings. Whereas a similarly equipped 2013 F-150 scores 13.4 L/100 km city, 9.7 highway, and a 2013 Silverado/Sierra (the smallest engine available is a 302 hp and 305 lb.-ft. 4.8L V8) gets estimates of 15.9 and 11.2, respectively, the Ram V6 manages 13 in the city and 8.5 on the highway. I saw a reasonable 11.8 L/100 km in a mixture of around-town and highway motoring.

As much as Ram has made its 1500 feel like a car, it still lacks a few car-like features you’d expect in a $50,000-plus vehicle. For that money, I’d expect leather seats, automatic climate control, and maybe a bit more grunt than the 269 lb.-ft. the new V6 can muster.